Hearing from Birdsong London – ethical, sustainable and local fashion
It was Galentine’s Day, when ‘ladies celebrate other ladies’, and the day before proper couples stay home because restaurants serve food in the shape of hearts. It seemed very appropriate that our WI was learning about the power and purpose of fashion, and how an ethical brand is helping women workers.
Fashion. Fash-un. Fa-shon. Turns out that it’s more than just something to keep us warm or let us take public transport without getting funny looks. Sophie Slater from Birdsong gave us a hopeful view of how a fashion brand can change women’s lives.
Birdsong is committed to being ethical, sustainable and local. As an alternative to fast fashion and mass production, They have a different model for making and selling clothes. Elderly women and migrant women are given regular dignified work and paid a living wage. Wherever possible fabrics are sustainable, organic and natural so Mother Earth is happy too. And the lady shoppers appreciate clothes made by actual skilled human beings.
Looking at their website I also notice that the clothing models are also real un-Photoshop-ed activists and friends. Just another way that Birdsong celebrates ladies. “From migrant seamstresses to knitting grannies, we connect women from worker to wearer.”
Blog post by member, Lorraine Long.